At the Beginning with You
by Brave-Phoenix
Summary: It started as stargazing. Through the Sharingan. And by the end of that evening, she had put all his fears and doubts at ease.


_**Disclaimer:** Doesn't own Naruto; it belongs to the infamous Kishimoto-sensei._

**At the Beginning with You**

_Kyuubi Tenshi_

Sakura stared at the sky, eyes roving over stars and exploring the way the light flared brighter on one than another. It was the first time she had watched the sky in a long time. Because this time, Sasuke was back by their side.

They were Team 7 again; she, Naruto, Kakashi and Sasuke. They were, again, one. Just as they had said in the beginning. He had been even more quiet since his return, though, than ever he had been before leaving. But the kunoichi didn't question it. It was him. It was familiar, though a little different. She had accepted it again.

At this moment, she concentrated on a smaller star, far, far away in the distance. It was diminutive, but it burned brightly as it could. It was reminiscent of her past.

"Sasuke-kun, what is it like to watch the stars with the Sharingan?"

Sitting at her side, the young man turned to look at her, a bit of surprise etched in his face. It was a simple question, wasn't it? That of what it was like for him to watch the stars through sharper eyes? He blinked a few times, disbelieving of the simple thing she queried, and in the end, she allowed her head loll to the side and bright beryl eyes look up at him innocently. From his position, he looked down to where her head rested on the ground, not too very far from his thigh. She was perfectly docile.

"Want to see?" She lit up, eyes dyed silver beneath celestial light, and nodded quickly. His orbs shadowed a bit. "Do you trust me?"

She seemed a bit taken aback by the question, but nodded confirmation nonetheless. He shifted onto his hands and knees, leaning over her. Onyx bled the color scarlet, changing to the spinning mirrors that reflected others' souls. The Sharingan took her over, and she found herself in a midnight world. Eyes shot skyward, and she was breathless at the beauty there.

The stars shone, each a bright torch, flaming white and as large as the sun. The flames thrashed like snakes against midnight blue, and yet danced in a perfect, seven-step time. They seemed so far away, and yet close enough to touch, and each movement seemed to have a shadow precede it, as though the paths were shown them to follow, and as though before her very eyes she watched someone draw the pictures, as though animating this whole scene. But it was beautiful beyond perception; no eyes would believe the sight of angel-swords that danced in the night sky, formed in the shape of burning pyres.

Sasuke watched her quietly, still leaning over her tranquil form, and basked in the amazement that he saw on her face. She seemed almost bewildered; he had to admit, it was miraculous watching the ethereal bodies through eyes like his. He allowed the spell end, and as she was drawn back into reality, a beautiful peace, filled with awe, rested upon her face. She blinked, her eyes at last returning to the present. She lit up again, excitement spiking her aura.

"Sugoi…" He nodded softly. But his sad eyes slowly drew her out of her reverie, and she looked at him, curiously worried. "Sasuke-kun, is something wrong?"

He shook his head mutely. The man moved away from her, casting longing onyx eyes up at the heavens. Sakura watched him, and wondered at his manner; even as cold and quiet as he was, she knew that this silence was not be his nature to give. She sat up, and studied his eyes for a moment, debating whether or not to say anything.

"You've changed, Sasuke-kun. But I still know you well enough; something's wrong, and has been ever since you got back. What is it?" her voice pleaded. His eyes, if possible seemed even more sad than before. He turned back to look at her hesitantly, a regretful smile on his face.

"I know I've changed. The villagers can't trust me anymore."

"Why not?"

"Because I destroyed everything I was ever taught." He turned his eyes longingly back towards the sky. "I destroyed it all. From the moment we met Kakashi-sensei, he was teaching us the true way of a ninja, and I threw it all back in his face with what I did. He taught us teamwork above all, friendship that was more important than the mission; taught me that, above all, to sacrifice oneself for a comrade was the most noble of all sacrifices. Naruto taught me that working hard to attain my dreams was something I hadn't learned as well as I thought; he taught me that the bonds of friendship can do unspeakable things. And I destroyed it…"

Another sad smile for her eyes.

"All of it. Along with their trust…"

He laid back on the ground, resting his head in cupped hands heavily, eyes closing to hide tears that threatened run from onyx orbs. Through this small speech, probably the most Sakura had ever heard him say at all, she watched him, and measured his words. Yet, in the end, she found only one truth.

"Not true."

His eyes shot open at cast their paths to her in surprise. _Not true?_ She laughed a little, and leaned back next to him, eyes refusing to meet his.

"You _did_ betray us, true. You _did_ run out on all that you were taught. You _did_ do unspeakable damage to a few hearts here back home," she said, her tone light. But now, her eyes turned to him, sparkling, reflecting the silver shadows of starlight on her beryl depths, and she smiled truly for him.

"Demo ne, you didn't destroy anything. Naruto made me a promise that he would bring you back; I always knew that, one day, you would come back on your own. You took Naruto's advice, after all; your dream was to kill Itachi, and you accomplished that, didn't you, after you managed to pull yourself away from Orochimaru?" she asked him, her final sentence ending quietly. His eyes, still a bit surprised, softened at her in wonder. But before he could say anything as refute or thanks, she sat up and leaned over, pressing a small, innocent kiss to the corner of his eye, and disappeared in the misty night that surrounded them.

* * *

_(10 Years Later)_

"Miraje! What have I told you about practicing techniques in the house?" Sakura fussed at her daughter. The Academy student pouted cutely.

"Mama, I don't have anywhere else _to_ practice!"

"Oh really? I was just down at the Academy yesterday morning; have they oh-so-suddenly stopped leaving out practice targets for you to use? And I know that your uncle Naruto is still such a packrat that he'd _never _get rid of his, and he'd willingly let you borrow them."

Sasuke amusedly watched the exchange from the hallway shadows as his wife of seven years finally just slapped their little girl on the rear with her wooden baking spoon, shooing her towards the door before walking towards the wall and removing the three ill-aimed shuriken from the boards. Though he knew exactly when to dodge, as she _always _knew where he was. Needless to say, they found themselves, though more effectively, placed in the wall again.

"It's your fault, you know; if you stuck around to teach her house-manners, we wouldn't have this problem."

"What problem?" he teased, wrapping his arms easily around her waist. She threw a glance back over her shoulder at him. There was a suggestive sparkle in his eyes, but she knew better. She turned back to whatever sugary concoction it was she was making, and threw out a "Your turn," referring to the six little holes there, and his turn to fix them. He grumbled something incoherent, and used a few simple wood-style ninjutsu, having the tiny maladies fixed in a matter of moments. But just as he was about to leave the room, he heard her call for him over her shoulder.

"Sasuke, why… what made you ask me to marry you?" She asked him the question more often than anyone would guess, but he always avoided the answer. But this time… he thought he was ready.

"Remember that night beneath the stars ten years ago, after I first came back?" She stopped stirring and listened, an obvious 'yes.' Even though she couldn't see it, she could hear the smile in his voice. "You said I took Naruto's advice, and followed my dream. I just decided to follow through on my other dream, as well."

_You._

* * *

**AN: I still, to this day, love my description of Sakura watching the stars through the Sharingan. (_goes kyuu_) IT'S AWSUM! Teehee. Anywho, enjoy and REVIEW.**


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